A growing $500M+ engineering and sciences services company had an ambitious goal: double revenue and reach $1B within a few years. This meant scaling teams across multiple technical service areas—including laboratory services, a division experiencing rapid growth.
The Challenge: A Needle in a haystack
The need? A high-performing Business Development Manager to sell complex, high-value human capital solutions (regulatory compliance, analytical testing, validation, etc.) into Fortune 500 clients across life sciences, chemicals, and manufacturing industries.
This required someone with the right mix of:
- Entrepreneurial grit
- High-level selling acumen (C-suite and VP-level)
- Experience in outsourced services sales
- Deep industry network
Challenges that made the search more complex:
- The company’s hybrid staffing-and-consulting model
- Non-compete restrictions in the industry
- Most existing BDMs had been homegrown over decades
The stakes were high, and the pipeline was dry.
The Solution: Naviga’s Precise and Persistent Search
Naviga’s recruiters approached the role like consultants—deeply understanding the business, culture, and revenue goals. They mapped out the DNA of a successful BDM:
- Hunter mindset with a proven track record in winning new logos
- Experience selling services (not products) from project outsourcing to technical talent solutions
- Ability to own the full sales cycle, from prospecting to delivery collaboration
- Alignment with the company’s values: accountability, adaptability, and relationship-driven success
Naviga then developed a tailored outreach and vetting strategy with key qualifying questions upfront:
- What services have you sold, and into which verticals?
- Who are your decision-maker relationships?
- What revenue have you generated from new business?
- Can you walk us through a multi-million dollar deal you closed?
Within weeks, Naviga uncovered a hidden gem—a candidate with:
- 8+ years selling technical project-based services into regulated industries
- A track record of generating $4–6M in new business annually
- The ability to speak the language of both engineering and procurement stakeholders
- Grit and experience building territory from scratch
Naviga positioned the candidate strategically, emphasizing ROI and revenue impact over cost. The hiring team recognized the value and acted quickly.
The Result: A Seamless Hire—and a Strategic Win
The candidate was hired and, within the first 30 days:
- Engaged legacy contacts to open doors at major accounts
- Plugged seamlessly into the company culture, collaborating closely with delivery and solution teams
- Began charting a plan to surpass their $4M first-year revenue goal
More than just a hire—it became a catalyst for broader expansion strategy.
Why It Worked: Naviga’s Partnership Approach
The company didn’t just need resumes—they needed a trusted search partner who could:
- Navigate complex hiring requirements
- Speak fluently in the language of technical sales and human capital solutions
- Bring top performers that others couldn’t find
Naviga delivered.
Ready to hire high-impact revenue drivers like this?
Whether you’re building a new sales function or scaling to $1B+ in revenue, Naviga brings the experience, network, and hustle to get it done.